First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Stop before you wet the paper; it can't take water or solvents.
- If the paper is wet, lay it flat to air dry right away.
- Keep the item in a cool, relatively dry place, away from radiators and vents.
- Brush off loose debris with a soft natural-bristle brush after testing a hidden spot.
Bug splatter on paper is usually a reddish smear from a crushed bug or a small dark spot that can bleed like marker ink. Paper can't take water, solvents or heat, so the realistic goal is lifting loose debris and light marks rather than erasing a deep stain. If the paper is valuable and the mark has soaked in or left an insect or rust deposit, a conservator should decide what happens next.
Brush away loose debris with a soft, dry brush, and keep your hands dry so you don't leave fingerprints or push the mark deeper. Photographs and negatives need even more care, since a damp finger can leave a tide line or mat burn. If the paper feels brittle or starts to flake, stop handling it altogether.
Before you start
What paper, books & photos can take
Use with care1
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid5
- Water
- Hot water
- Soaking
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Heat, once the stain is out
4 items
What you'll need
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- Soft natural-bristle brushLifts loose debris without rubbing the surface. (opens Amazon)
- Non-colored vinyl eraserGrate it into crumbs for the light marks left after brushing. (opens Amazon)
- Air-bulb blowerRemoves loose dust from photographs; canned air is off the list. (opens Amazon)
- Clean nitrile glovesKeep your hands off the image when handling photographs. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Decide whether to treat it
If the item is valuable, has progressing damage or is handled often, consult a paper conservator instead of treating it yourself. The same goes for embedded marks, tape residue, insect deposits or rust, and anything you're unsure about.
Step 2 of 7
Air dry any wet paper
If the paper is wet, spread it out flat to air dry right away. If it can't be air dried within two days, freeze it instead.
Careful. Never freeze old photographs or negatives.
Step 3 of 7
Handle it with clean hands
Wash your hands or put on clean nitrile gloves before you touch the item. Hold photographs by the edges and keep your fingers off the image.
Step 4 of 7
Test a hidden spot first
Work on a small, unobtrusive spot before the rest of the item. Watch for smearing or lifting of ink or graphite, and stop if you see either.
Careful. Do not surface-clean photographs, brittle paper, loose pastel, pencil or charcoal, flaking ink or hand-colored items.
Step 5 of 7
Blow dust off photographs
On photographs, remove only loose dust with an air-bulb blower, using short puffs. Paper skips the blower and goes straight to brushing.
Step 6 of 7
Brush off loose debris
Use a clean, soft natural-bristle brush and work from the inside toward the edges. Keep the strokes light so the loose debris lifts without rubbing the surface.
Tip. Brush toward the edges, not across the middle.
Step 7 of 7
Lift what's left with crumbs
Grate a non-colored vinyl eraser and use the crumbs in short, random strokes over the mark. Then stop, because surface cleaning won't remove heavy soiling or staining that has become embedded, such as tide lines, mold stains or mat burn.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
Loose debris lifts off the surface with the soft brush, and the crumbs pick up a little more on each pass. Keep going only while the crumbs are still pulling something off, then stop.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your paper, books & photos
Photographs and negatives
On photographs, the air-bulb blower takes the place of the brush, and the vinyl crumbs stay in the drawer. Hold the item by its edges, and keep your fingers off the image at all times.
A mark that stays after the blower is a job for a photograph conservator, not more rubbing. Tape or adhesive residue on a photo needs the same kind of help.
Books and bound pages
Brush from the inside of the spine toward the outer edges, so loose debris doesn't get pushed into the gutter. Use light strokes so the pages stay flat.
Turn pages by the corners and check each page before moving on. Stop once the loose debris is gone, since a mark deeper in the book is a conservator's call.
Brittle or flaking paper
Brittle or flaking paper can't take the brush or the crumbs without risk of more damage, so leave the surface alone. Support the item in a clean folder and call a paper conservator.
Keep it flat and in a cool, relatively dry place away from radiators and vents while you wait. Note where the mark is so the conservator knows what to look at.
Tide lines and mat burn
Tide lines and mat burn are embedded stains, and the brush and crumbs won't lift them. Keep your effort on the loose debris and stop once it's gone.
Those marks usually need a conservator. Until then, store the item in a cool, relatively dry place away from radiators and vents.
Mold stains
Surface cleaning won't remove mold staining that has set into the paper, so set your expectations low. For mold stains only, keep the humidity between 40-65% so mold does not regrow.
Keep the item away from radiators and vents, and check it now and then for any new growth. If new growth appears, stop and call a conservator.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old bug marks that have dried into the paper usually sit below what surface cleaning can reach. The brush and crumbs can still take off loose debris and light marks, but a dried dark spot may stay behind.
If a mark is still there after the dry cleaning, don't move on to anything wet or stronger, since paper can't take those at home. Set the item aside and let a conservator decide what's realistic. A conservator can judge what's safe for that exact item.
For items of collector's value, leave the mark as it is and improve how the item is stored. A cool, relatively dry place away from radiators and vents is the most you can do at home.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on bug splatter on paper, books & photos?
Most liquid remedies you'll find online are off the table for paper, because paper can't take water, soaking or solvents at home. Liquids don't suit paper, so only dry removal with a soft brush and eraser crumbs fits.
Avoid7
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't wet the paper
Paper can't take water at home, and soaking wet prints in cold water can cause irreversible damage. Solvents are off the table too, so leave them out of the process.
Don't use tape or sticky fixes
Self-stick tape is off limits even when it's marketed as archival, because it can be extremely difficult to remove. Sticky notes, glue, adhesives and magnetic self-adhesive album pages belong nowhere near photographs.
Don't use the wrong eraser
Block, putty, electric and commercial abrasive erasers are off the table for paper and photos. Eraser crumbs don't belong inside books either, since they get trapped in the gutter.
Don't use canned air on photographs
Canned air is off limits on photographs. The air-bulb blower is the only dust tool that belongs with them.
Don't try to remove active mold
Active mold may only spread or smear when you touch it, so don't brush, wipe or rub it. Set the item aside and get a conservator involved.
When to call a professional
Consult a paper conservator, or a photograph conservator for photos, when the item is valuable, has progressing damage, is handled often, or has embedded stains, tape residue, or insect or rust deposits. Items of high monetary, historic or sentimental value should be treated only with a conservator. Look for one through a professional conservation directory.
Questions
Can I wash bug splatter off paper?
No. Paper can't take water, soaking or solvents at home, so wet cleaning will do more harm than the mark. Use the dry method, starting with a soft brush and grated vinyl eraser crumbs.
Are the marks on my paper blood?
Reddish marks often come from crushed bugs, while small dark specks are usually bed bug excrement that can bleed like a marker. Either way, the paper gets the same dry method, and you should test a hidden spot first.
What if the paper got wet?
Spread it out flat to air dry right away. If it can't be air dried within two days, freeze it, but photographs and negatives should never be frozen.
Can I use a regular block eraser?
No. Block, putty and commercial abrasive erasers are off the list for paper. Grate a non-colored vinyl eraser into crumbs and use those in short, random strokes.
Will the stain come out completely?
Usually not. Surface cleaning won't remove heavy soiling or staining that has become embedded, such as tide lines, mold stains or mat burn. For those, a conservator is the right call.
Can I dry the paper with a heater or in a warm room?
No. Keep paper in a cool, relatively dry place away from radiators and vents, and don't use heat to speed up drying.
How do I know when to stop?
Stop once the loose debris is gone and the crumbs stop picking up anything new. If the mark stays, it's likely embedded, so a conservator is the better next step than more rubbing.
Bug Splatter on other materials
Other stains on paper, books & photos
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.